The present invention relates to vehicle alignment, and more particularly to vehicle alignment systems which assist in diagnosing vehicle alignment symptoms.
Vehicle suspension and steering components are subject to wear, misadjustment, and failure. This results in various symptoms which, however, do not always unambiguously indicate the particular component which needs to be replaced or adjusted. Moreover, it is not always possible for the technician/user, particularly one who works on a great number of different models and makes of vehicles, to quickly and accurately determine the actual cause of any particular symptom. This results in increased repair time and costs and the possible replacement of undamaged parts.
There are books available which may be used by the technician to diagnose a particular problem or symptom, but the books are not always available to the technician at the time they are needed. In addition, the books are bulky, are easily soiled, and generally are not a satisfactory solution.
Various alignment equipment is available to the technician to assist in determining whether various alignment angles, such as toe, caster and camber are within specifications, but this information alone still does not always unambiguously define the cause of a particular symptom. Rather the currently available alignment equipment may direct the technician toward fixing a problem which is not actually the cause of the symptom complained of by the driver. When the symptom continues after the repair indicated by the alignment equipment, the driver will be dissatisfied. Such alignment equipment could be improved.